Ashurst grows Perth office with hiring of Restructuring and Investigations partners

Global law firm Ashurst has expanded its Perth office with the appointment of Richard Johnson and Kirsten Scott as partners. Richard will join the firm as a Restructuring and Special Situations Group (RSSG) partner and Kirsten will join as an Investigations partner in the Employment team. Their appointments highlight Ashurst's commitment to enhancing its service offerings in the energy, resources and mining sectors and providing comprehensive legal services tailored to the challenges and opportunities within these industries to meet the evolving needs of clients in Perth and globally.

Richard specialises in debt restructuring and corporate insolvency, with a client base that includes directors, creditors, corporates and restructuring practitioners. His practice spans both non-contentious and contentious matters. He advises on the insolvent trading safe harbour regime, corporate governance, creditors' rights and security enforcement, distressed acquisitions and disposals, and both consensual and contested debt restructuring matters. Richard spent a decade as a partner at HWL Ebsworth, where he established and led that firm's Restructuring and Insolvency practice in Perth. He was previously a lawyer at Minter Ellison. 

Kirsten is an experienced disputes and investigations, regulatory enforcement, and white-collar crime lawyer. She specialises in corporate, regulatory, workplace and safety investigations, particularly in the mining and energy sectors. Kirsten joins Ashurst from Johnson Winter Slattery, where she was a partner. She previously held roles at Clifford Chance and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, specialising in white-collar crime.

Ashurst's Head of Region, Australia, Lea Constantine, said: 

"We are delighted to welcome Richard and Kirsten to Ashurst. Their impressive track records and deep industry knowledge in restructuring and investigations align perfectly with our commitment to providing exceptional legal services to the energy, resources, and mining sectors. Richard's proficiency in restructuring and insolvency and Kirsten's expertise in regulatory enforcement and corporate investigations will undoubtedly enhance our service offerings as we continue to provide top-tier legal services to our clients."

Richard added: 

"Ashurst's reputation as a leading global firm with a strong record in the restructuring and insolvency space in Australia and the Asia Pacific region will support me to provide a broad range of solutions to clients. I am eager to work with the talented team at Ashurst and contribute to the firm's continued success." 

Kirsten commented: 

"I am pleased to join a firm of Ashurst's calibre and global reach. The opportunity to work alongside some of the industry's skilled legal minds and contribute to significant, complex matters is incredibly exciting. I look forward to applying my expertise and experience for the benefit of the firm's clients and contributing to growing Ashurst's strong reputation in investigations."